Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
Education
(Image Source: HT)
A better normal needed in universities post COVID
Excerpts from article by Kapil Viswanathan and Sanjay Sarma, published in livemint.com
Twelve months ago, schools and universities across the nation shut down under the pandemic, and shifted ‘seamlessly’ to an online mode of delivery. However, there were problems which surfaced later. Let’s take a look.
Richness of in-person discussion missing
The richness of in-person discussion, debate, criticism and feedback was often missing in our classrooms.
Many institutions found the transition to video-conferencing relatively straightforward, so long as students had access to digital devices and networks. This seamless transition itself exposes the deeper problem in traditional education – lecture-based and exam-driven system was somewhat socially distanced to begin with.
Zoom is not state-of-the-art online education
Further, what we are seeing with Zoom classes today is not state-of-the-art in online education. Cognitive science tells us that properly designed online content involves short, well-produced, asynchronous videos that are more attuned to the human brain’s ability to focus. Simulations, games and online group annotation of a document are also effective.
Properly designed online content a must
So, when campuses open, properly designed online learning must be used to make time for the most important aspect of education: in-person engagement.
Adoption of the flipped classroom where we reserve in-person classroom time for engaging two-way activities, while using online content and pre-reading to accomplish one-way communication—is one part of the solution.
A more nuanced take on the flipped classroom is to break up the learning trajectory into three aspects:
- Learning of concepts and methods
- Learning to think creatively to solve problems
- Applying concepts, methods and creativity cross-contextually to develop solutions to real-life problems.
No rigid structures, modular credentialing
Beyond flipping the classroom, universities need to change the rigid structure of our educational programmes. Education must embrace a more flexible and modular approach to credentialing. Degrees and programmes need to be broken up into smaller modules, and students must have the freedom to select one or more, in parallel or in whatever meaningful sequence suits them.
Employers will begin to insist that students must do certain modules for certain jobs. The delivery of content may happen through a ‘blend’ of time spent on online material with campus experiences and work-related projects.
Career
(Image Credit: Freepik)
Career prospects of full stack developers
Excerpts from article published by India Today Web Desk
Full-stack developers are true all-rounders and masters of their niche; their wisdom ranges across the full stack of a software application and can tackle anything that comes their way.
Some advantages of this career field are: Guaranteed career growth, attractive pay scales, getting an interdisciplinary skill set that boasts true mastery.
What is Full Stack Development?
Full-stack development is the development of both the front-end and back-end of an application. A full stack developer tackles tasks that involve programming, design, databases, and debugging of websites or applications. The common responsibilities include:
- Procuring project requirements
- Creating databases and servers
- Testing the application
- Optimizing the product for various platforms
- Editing and modifying codes
Rising Demand for Full Stack Developers
It has been recognised that a team of skilled, experienced full-stack developers is more effective than a team of specialists who work on different layers of an application.
The following are the reasons for the increased demand for full-stack developers
- Full Stack Developers are Versatile
- Full Stack Developers Reduce Operational Costs
- Start-Ups Prefer Full Stack Developers Over Specialists
Tips to become a Full Stack Developer
1. Learn your tools
A full stack developer needs an array of tools to implement full stack development. Aside from the basic tools such as an Operating System, web browser, text editor, and a terminal, he or she needs to master the front-end tools, back-end tools, package managers, and databases.
Here are some of the important front-end and back-end tools:
- Front-end
- Bootstrap
- Angular.js
- Foundation
- Python
- JavaScript
- Elixir
- HTML and CSS
- Back-end tools
- Django
- Ember.js
- Lodash
- React
- D3.js
2. Perfect your Database Management Skills
Developers use databases to store the information pertaining to a website so that it can be accessed later. A full stack developer needs to learn and manipulate the following databases:
– Oracle
– Redis
– MongoDB
– SQLServer
3. Learn the basics of design
It is imperative for a full-stack developer to understand the basics of designing prototypes. This minimises their dependency on designers and helps them simplify their tasks. Learning tools like Photoshop, Figma and Sketch will come in handy.
4. Master Web Deployment
Deployment refers to the whole process of packaging and pushing the product to different environments including the live server. A full stack developer cannot afford to have flawed deployment skills, a fault in the deployment can cause severe loss of assets. This is often countered with making multiple environments based on the complexity of the project.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
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